The San Antonio Spurs lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals 104-102 to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite a record-setting defensive performance from center Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs dropped an important home game in the series to the Timberwolves, and reportedly brought in an expert to help review game film with the team.

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Matthew Tynan, who covers the Spurs for Locked On Sports, reported that longtime Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sat in with the team during the day’s film session on Tuesday. San Antonio had a lighter practice, and then Popovich helped to break down film with the team, per Tynan.

Popovich took over as San Antonio’s head coach in 1996 and held the role for 29 years. He won five NBA championships with the franchise and was named Coach of the Year three times. Popovich is one of the few head coaches to have been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame while still actively coaching, getting enshrined in 2023.

The longtime head coach has a 1,390-824 record in 2,214 regular-season games and a 170-114 record in the postseason. He coached his final season in 2024, but was only able to coach five games before his health declined.

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Popovich suffered a stroke on Nov. 2, 2024, and two days later, it was announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence.

In Feb. 2025, he confirmed to the team that he would not be returning as their coach that season, and in May, the team announced he was stepping down as head coach and transitioning into a new role as president of basketball operations.

The Spurs will face the Timberwolves for Game 2 on Wednesday night to try to even the series before they head to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.

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